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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.

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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — in sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. perch — for a bird

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