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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: cap · wound · mine · deal · mark · mouse · perch · club

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — of ice
  11. club — for dancing
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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