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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 124 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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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: bay · temple · arm · game · ball · toast · tube · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. toast — bread
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cap — a lid
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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