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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — of ice
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bore — to drill
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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