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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. degree — from a university

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