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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 124 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — in cards
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — a price
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. capital — money

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