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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. spell — letters
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — a stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wax — in the ear

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