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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — the time now
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a lid
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — there
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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