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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — a lid
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mug — a face
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mug — to rob
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — in music
  24. content — happy

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