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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ground — a position
  3. cap — a hat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — music
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — army training
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rock — a stone

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