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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. perch — the fish

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