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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rock — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — a practice
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — in music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  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