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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — to cut
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a dance
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — music
  13. club — a group
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — soda
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — a video
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — a hat

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