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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: content · wake · bowl · leaves · stick · racket · perch · season

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — of the year
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. perch — the fish
  9. season — in sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. content — the amount

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