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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — of the year
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cap — a hat
  8. spell — magic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — not warm
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ground — the earth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — letters
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — to sink
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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