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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
468
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: can · degree · hide · pitcher · arm · track · bear · cap

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — to keep track
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — a path
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — to be able to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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