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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 116 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
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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: can · row · season · perch · bear · squash · court · race

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — of the year
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — a line
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — for a bird

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