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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — the time now
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — in sport

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