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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cap — of ice
  11. roll — a list
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — to handle
  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