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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — a lid
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — to roll

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