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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. firm — steady
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — all right
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — in control
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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