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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.

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: racket · season · perch · rock · rule · staff · capital · wake

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — a trail
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — a city
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — the fish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. capital — money
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. rock — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — government

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