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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — magic
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — crushed
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — letters
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — government

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