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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.

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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: bat · clip · bay · rule · cap · object · pitcher · cabinet

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — to protest
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — government

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