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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — there
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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