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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — for sport
  7. cap — a lid
  8. staff — a stick
  9. court — of law
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a hat

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