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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — to get on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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