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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. court — of law
  19. cap — a lid
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — completely

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