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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. rule — government
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. spell — magic
  11. court — of law
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — an untruth

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