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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. band — a music group
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — to cut
  18. scale — size or range
  19. clip — a video
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — to dunk

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