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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — final
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — boats
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pound — a weight
  24. board — a flat piece

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