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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 120 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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cap — of ice

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