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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitch — a sports field

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