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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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