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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — farmland
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — size or range
  9. can — to be able to
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — in football
  16. field — for sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — a subject
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cap — a lid
  22. firm — a company
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — a hat

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