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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to click
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — the cause

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