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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — soda
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cap — a hat
  13. court — for sport
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — a lid
  18. court — of a king
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a hint
  24. perch — the fish

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