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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cap — of ice
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. pop — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — in cards
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a round shape

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