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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — a gift
  6. cold — not warm
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — of the year
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. perch — the fish

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