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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. fine — all right

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