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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chair — a leader
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spell — magic
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — to spend time

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