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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — steady
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spring — the season
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — soda
  23. firm — a company
  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