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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a document
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — for a computer

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