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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. swing — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — boats
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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