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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. key — in music
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. firm — decided
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. shower — rain
  24. spring — a coil

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