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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chair — a leader

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