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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. firm — decided
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — a company
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. firm — steady
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cell — a phone

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