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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 · bark · jam · pass · spring · rock · ruler · chest

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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. rock — a stone
  4. spring — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — of water
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cap — of ice
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. bark — to shout

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