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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. race — a contest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. club — a group
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — humankind
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — a committee

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