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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — a container
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — in music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. field — for sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cue — a signal

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