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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: arm · stick · season · deal · fine · game · saw · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a match
  20. season — in sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — of the year

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