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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — a coil
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. club — for golf

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