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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. roll — a list
  4. date — the fruit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stem — to come from
  7. roll — a cake
  8. object — to protest
  9. bass — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — a thing
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — a hat
  24. object — an aim

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