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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — a contest
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — for sport

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