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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — a break
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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