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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — of law
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cap — a lid

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