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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — soda
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. saw — the tool

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