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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 — a lid
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. field — farmland
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. scale — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — size or range
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cap — of ice
  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