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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.

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: mouse · ball · cap · game · straw · fine · can · shower

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — all right
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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