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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. craft — boats
  18. can — to be able to

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