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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. craft — boats
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — to crush
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. squash — the vegetable

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