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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — size or range
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. perch — the fish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — in music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — a penalty

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