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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. spell — magic
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stock — goods
  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