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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — music
  18. racket — for tennis

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