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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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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: sharp · perch · season · row · lie · wound · court · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. court — for sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. row — a line
  19. season — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. court — of law

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