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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — decided
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to click
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. firm — a company

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