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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — a line
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a lid
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — the fruit

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