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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. club — for golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — for dancing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to drill
  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