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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — of ice
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — magic
  14. track — a song
  15. court — of law
  16. spell — letters
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — to keep track

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