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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — a series
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to tire
  19. perch — the fish
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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