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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. date — the fruit
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. season — of the year
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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