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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — a lid
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — the fruit

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