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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — there
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the fish
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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