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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ground — a position
  24. racket — for tennis

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