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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a document
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cap — a lid

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