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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — ground
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the 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