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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. game — a match
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — child
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a line
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a quarrel

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