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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. season — of the year
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. perch — for a bird

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