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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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Word bank
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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: cap · mark · ground · perch · foot · tear · fan · mug

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mug — a face
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mug — a cup
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ground — crushed
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a lid

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