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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. capital — money
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — thin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. sharp — clever

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