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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — a tin

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