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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. net — in sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fall — the season

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