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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. perch — the fish
  3. board — a committee
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rock — music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spell — letters
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — a stick

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