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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bass — low music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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