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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. court — of law
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mark — a trace
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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