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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. board — a committee
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cap — a lid
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a song
  22. current — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. current — happening now

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