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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — of ice
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. perch — the fish
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — a price
  23. roll — a list
  24. pop — soda

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