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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — government
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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