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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — of water
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — government
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — a law
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. net — for catching
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — ground
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bass — low music

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