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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · racket · fine · cap · game · ground · ruler · wake

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spring — the season
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — high quality
  24. racket — for tennis

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