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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. club — for dancing
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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