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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — a grade
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — a video
  13. present — a gift
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — there
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mark — a trace

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