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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a friend
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a lid
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — for catching
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — a partner
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — boats
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — crushed

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