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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — in sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — an aim
  15. march — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — a series

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