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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: cap · rock · season · deal · perch · race · march · bound

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. march — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — humankind
  17. cap — a lid
  18. season — of the year
  19. deal — to handle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — the month

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