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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: season · bowl · perch · snap · ruler · toast · face · club

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. club — for golf
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — for dancing
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. club — a group
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. toast — bread
  23. season — of the year
  24. perch — the fish

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