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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — the time now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spell — a short time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. band — a ring
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — a gift
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — there

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