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

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ball — a dance

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