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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. capital — a city
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mug — to rob
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — money
  18. cap — a lid
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — to handle

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