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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. court — of a king
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rule — a law
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of law

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