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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cold — not warm
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — to eat with

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