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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. march — the month
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fork — to eat with

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