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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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