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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. club — a group
  3. toast — bread
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — a country
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a lid
  20. club — for dancing
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. staff — employees

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