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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · cold · rest · cap · perch · temple · club · bay

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a hat
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — a break
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cap — of ice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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