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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spring — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — of ice

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