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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. court — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. drill — army training
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitch — completely
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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