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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — the fish
  4. face — to confront
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rash — a series
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — to shout
  24. perch — for a bird

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