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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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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: pitcher · club · last · rest · fine · cap · perch · bear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. last — to go on
  8. club — a group
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — a break
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — final

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