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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a lid
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. net — in sport
  17. kid — child
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. net — after costs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kid — to tease

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