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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a line of people
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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