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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — music
  5. court — of a king
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — rain
  15. rule — government
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rule — a law
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pop — soda
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — of ice

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