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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a document
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. court — of a king
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a flat piece

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