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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ground — the earth
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chair — a leader
  21. band — a ring
  22. fine — all right
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. prune — to trim

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