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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · bay · can · kick · firm · pitcher · clip · cap

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cap — a hat
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — a company
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — a video
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — steady
  24. bay — a horse colour

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