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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — in sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. suit — to fit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — a permit

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