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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — to protest
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — a trace
  10. season — in sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — happy
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — of the year
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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