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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — the fish
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a line of people
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — obliged
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — a signal

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