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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cap — a lid

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