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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ball — a great time
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — a law
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rule — government
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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