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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. drill — a practice
  4. scale — size or range
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — army training
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a face
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — letters
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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