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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — hasty
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. court — of a king

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