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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fine — high quality
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fine — all right
  7. chair — a leader
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. season — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fine — a penalty

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