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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — a committee
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cap — a lid
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rule — government

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