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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — of ice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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