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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mug — a face
  12. degree — from a university
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — in sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. degree — temperature
  24. coach — a trainer

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