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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — of ice
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for dancing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — of the year
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. scale — size or range
  24. tube — a container

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