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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. date — the fruit

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