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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a hat
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a lid
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. march — the month
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. swing — in golf

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