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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 124 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — in cards
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — a lid

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