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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: cap · ball · spell · current · spring · ruler · nail · drill

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — electric
  6. ball — a great time
  7. current — happening now
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cap — a lid
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — magic
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — a coil
  20. drill — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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