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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. scale — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — for a computer

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