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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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