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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cap — of ice
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rule — a law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a match
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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