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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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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: rock · ball · court · land · cap · kick · fall · pass

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fall — the season
  9. kick — in football
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — ground
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — music
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. court — of law
  20. cap — a lid
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. court — for sport

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