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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — size or range
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — the arms race
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. race — a contest
  19. club — for golf
  20. race — humankind
  21. chest — a box
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. craft — a handicraft

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