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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cap — of ice

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