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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — a signal
  4. object — to protest
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — government
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — a lid
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — a thing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — a tin

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