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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — decided
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — magic
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — steady
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  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