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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cap — a lid
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — a skill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — to fit
  18. race — humankind
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. march — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — in cards

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