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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ground — the earth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — to get on

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