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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to confront
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — to point toward
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — a group
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitch — completely

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