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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cell — in biology
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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