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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a path
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — belonging to me

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