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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — of ice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cap — a lid

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