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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — all right
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — to paddle
  15. key — the most important part
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a line
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — a penalty

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