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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to sink
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cap — of ice
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — the month
  20. board — to get on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — music

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