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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cold — not warm
  7. club — a group
  8. cap — a hat
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. foot — a measure
  13. club — for golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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