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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · game · current · deal · march · mark · cabinet · bear

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — the month
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — happening now
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — a big deal

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