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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — to go on
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — final
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. toast — bread
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — finally
  23. rush — hurry
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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