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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — the time now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — the fish
  14. capital — money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. present — a gift
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — in music

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