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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — ground
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. field — a subject
  17. game — a match
  18. field — farmland
  19. roll — a cake
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. roll — a list
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — for sport

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