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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cap — of ice
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. present — there
  14. season — of the year
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — to tire
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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