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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kick — in football
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a hint
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — for pool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — a city

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