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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: leaves · bowl · staff · cabinet · perch · mate · deal · race

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. staff — a stick

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