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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — a signal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — of a river
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a song
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wound — an injury

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