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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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. squash — the sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — the fish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — rain
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. row — to paddle
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — the fruit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. shower — to wash

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