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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — of ice
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — to come down
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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