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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — goods
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. board — a committee
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — final
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — a measure

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