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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — in control
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. club — for dancing
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rule — government
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. shower — to wash

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