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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — a contest
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — to come from
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — of ice

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