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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — certain
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rule — government

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