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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. track — to keep track
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. track — a song
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — a group

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