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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — decided
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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