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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kid — to tease
  8. key — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — child
  15. pop — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — of ice
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cap — a lid
  24. key — for a lock

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