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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rock — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. capital — money
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — bread

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