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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. court — of a king
  11. chair — a leader
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. key — for a lock

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