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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a face
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — after costs
  12. mug — a cup
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — employees
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cap — a hat

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