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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — ground
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. firm — a company
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — a country
  16. season — of the year
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — to come down
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. firm — steady
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — high quality
  24. perch — the fish

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