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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 120 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. key — in music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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