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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. charge — a price
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — finally
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — to go on
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — letters

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