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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — for pool
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — in sport

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