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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — child
  23. bear — the animal
  24. march — music

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