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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — to handle
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mate — to breed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — a series
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — a trainer

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