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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. board — to get on
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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