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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a cake
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — in control
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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