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

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — clever

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