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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — after costs
  5. rock — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. net — for catching
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — of ice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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