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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. suit — in cards
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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