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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. pop — soda
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — a weight
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. degree — from a university

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