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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a face
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. court — for sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — a cup
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — the animal

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