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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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