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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. key — for a lock
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — of ice
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. court — for sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bat — in an idiom

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