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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. swing — in golf
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — the fish
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — to rule out

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