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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — a stone
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — government
  11. roll — a list
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — a cake
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — a break
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — a law
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — to move gently

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