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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. cap — a hat
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — crushed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — there
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — a gift
  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