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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — a permit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a flat piece

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