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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cap — a lid
  5. staff — a stick
  6. shower — to wash
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — a hat
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — a division
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. shower — rain
  24. capital — a city

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