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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — in music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — government
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — an illness

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