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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stem — to come from
  4. charge — a price
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — low music
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a path
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — electricity
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — a song

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