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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. craft — a skill
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. clip — for paper

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