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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — to go on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — a practice
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — army training
  12. club — for golf
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. last — final
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a lid
  18. present — there
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. season — of the year
  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