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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a lid
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — in sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — of the year

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