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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 124 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bark — to shout
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — for catching
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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