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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 124 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mate — a partner
  18. roll — a list
  19. mate — a friend
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fine — a penalty

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