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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — in control
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — for sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. sharp — exactly

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