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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — a measure
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — electricity

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