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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — the tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — low music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — in cards
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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