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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — to bear
  8. march — the month
  9. season — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. wind — moving air

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