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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — a break
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rock — music
  24. cap — a hat

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