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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — the sport
  15. land — a country
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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