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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bark — to shout
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cap — of ice
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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