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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a lid
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — a group

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