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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — of a king
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pass — a permit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. court — of law

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