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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bowl · present · perch · wound · mug · land · plane

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cap — a hat
  6. present — there
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — ground
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — a country
  20. perch — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — an injury

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