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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — bread
  17. degree — an amount
  18. perch — the fish
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cold — an illness
  23. charge — electricity
  24. season — to add flavour

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