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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. swing — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — for a bird

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