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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. club — for dancing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — of a river
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — for pool
  18. club — for golf
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — in control
  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