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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: fan · perch · season · sharp · court · bay · pitch · cap

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cap — a lid
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — completely
  23. court — for sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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