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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. net — after costs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — of a plant

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