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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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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: race · board · nail · perch · bat · sharp · lean · season

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. season — of the year
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — a committee
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — thin
  20. race — a contest
  21. bat — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — clever

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