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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — a law
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — a break
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rule — government
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rest — what's left

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