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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — of the year
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — in sport
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hand — help
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rule — a law
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. toast — bread
  16. kick — in football
  17. rule — government
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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