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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. dip — to sink
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — boats
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. band — a music group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. perch — for a bird

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