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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — a partner
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. club — a group
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — farmland
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — to get on
  18. field — for sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. club — for dancing
  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