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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — the earth
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. season — of the year
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cue — a signal

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