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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: bay · land · current · cap · march · bear · vault · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cap — a hat
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. current — of water
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — to be able to
  14. current — electric
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. current — happening now
  24. cap — a lid

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