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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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