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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — of ice
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. game — a match

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