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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spell — letters
  9. court — of law
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of a king
  19. rest — a break
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cap — of ice

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