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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — of the year
  11. mine — for digging
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — for betting
  19. current — of water
  20. face — part of the head
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — of ice
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. face — to point toward

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