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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — government
  12. spring — a coil
  13. court — for sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a lid
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a dance
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a round shape

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