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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — bread
  11. plane — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. race — humankind
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — the time now

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