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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rock — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a music group
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — a line
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. present — a gift
  13. cap — a lid
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — there

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