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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rest — a break
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — a hat

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