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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rule — government
  7. game — wild animals
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — the amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. content — happy

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