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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — boats
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — shares
  24. ball — a round shape

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