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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. land — to come down
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. calf — a young animal

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