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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — all right
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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