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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. court — of law
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. scale — size or range
  24. court — of a king

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