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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a lid
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — in golf
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mug — a face
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. firm — decided
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — to rob
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bank — of a river

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