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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. land — a country
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — a practice
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — to come down
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — the fish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. land — ground
  22. chair — a leader
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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