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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · perch · stick · sharp · bowl · plane · mine · season

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — for digging
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cue — a signal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. season — of the year
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — in geometry

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