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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — a country
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — ground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — to come down
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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