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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 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — bread
  7. present — there
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — the most admired

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