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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.

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: court · pitch · can · perch · cold · nail · season · cap

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cap — of ice
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — of the year
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. cold — an illness

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