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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — government
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — a position
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a committee
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rule — a law
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — crushed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bat — the animal

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