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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a hat
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — for betting
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to click
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a lid

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