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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. present — the time now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — of ice
  11. net — after costs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — there
  17. net — for catching
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to click
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. present — a gift
  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