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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — a series
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — of ice
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — all right
  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