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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 hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — a country
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pop — music
  19. land — ground
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pop — soda
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — a contest
  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