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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 120 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: season · pound · bat · bowl · bear · perch · hide · foot

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. foot — the bottom

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