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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — letters
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — magic
  24. stem — of a plant

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