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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — a contest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. race — humankind
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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