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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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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — a box
  11. band — a music group
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. current — happening now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — electric

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