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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cap — a lid
  9. court — of law
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — for sport
  18. hand — help
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — of a king

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