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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — in a road
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pound — for dogs

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