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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. net — for catching
  3. object — a thing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — after costs
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — to protest
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wound — an injury

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