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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. court — for sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — a sauce

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