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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. board — to get on
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — in football

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