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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. board — a committee
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — a subject
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a handicraft

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