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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a match

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