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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — a hat
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. net — for catching
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — after costs
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop

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