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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — a tin

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