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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a song
  9. firm — a company
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — decided
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. track — a path
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — soda
  24. cell — in a prison

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