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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. present — there
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — to play on
  24. club — a group

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