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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — to get on
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spell — magic
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — a committee

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