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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spring — of water
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — an amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — a lid

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