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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rock — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — an aim
  10. field — farmland
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fall — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. object — a thing
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. field — a subject
  24. rule — a law

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