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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: net · rush · perch · staff · season · ball · wake · bound

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ball — a dance
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — employees

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