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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — a stick
  13. court — of law
  14. file — a document
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rash — a series
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — of a king
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. foot — a measure
  24. staff — employees

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