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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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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — to visit

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