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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — a lid
  24. march — the month

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