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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: foot · season · fine · wave · plane · toast · perch · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — bread
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — all right
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. game — a match

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