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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fine — all right
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — of a word

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