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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — child
  10. pit — a hole
  11. present — a gift
  12. cap — a lid
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — there
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — the time now
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mouse — for a computer

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