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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com