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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. mate — a friend
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. club — a group
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — in music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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