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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. file — a document
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. file — a tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tube — a container
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pop — music
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

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