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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — government
  8. court — of law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — a law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. branch — a division
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a bank

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