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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — the month
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. march — the month
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. season — in sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. march — music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  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