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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — a lid
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — to add flavour

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