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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. perch — the fish
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — a song
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — to tease
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — child

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