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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — a lid
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. present — there
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. present — the time now
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cap — of ice
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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