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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a music group
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — in a road
  24. band — a ring

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