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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. bound — obliged
  5. file — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rest — a break
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — for sport

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