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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kid — child
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chair — a leader

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