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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ball — a great time
  13. scale — in music
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — electric
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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