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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. root — of a word
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. swing — in golf
  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