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

Word bank: perch · pass · club · track · fine · kid · bay · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. track — to keep track
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. track — a song
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kid — to tease
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — a permit

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