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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — of ice
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — a company

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