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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. perch — the fish
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — a box
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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