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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. court — for sport
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — decided
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — a company
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a hat
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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