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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — in sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — of the year
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. hide — to keep secret

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