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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — rain
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — in a race
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. current — happening now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — of a plant
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — the fish
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — electric
  24. perch — for a bird

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