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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of a king
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a song
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. track — to keep track
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — electric
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — of water

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