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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a committee
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — there
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chair — a leader

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