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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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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: suit · pit · object · cap · kid · wind · scale · board

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cap — a hat
  3. object — to protest
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — an aim
  7. scale — in music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — in a race
  10. suit — in cards
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. suit — clothes
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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