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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in biology
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — in football
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tube — a container
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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