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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — steady
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — happening now
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — of water

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