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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rush — hurry
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. band — a ring

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