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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. court — of a king
  7. staff — a stick
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — in cards
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — a hat
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hand — help
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a tree

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