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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — to get on
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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