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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: chest · present · mark · cap · current · bay · bear · pitcher

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — there
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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