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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — the season
  4. mate — a friend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spring — of water
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to click
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — a partner
  23. club — a group
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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