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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — a group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for dancing

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