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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kid — child
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kid — to tease
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — a tin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wind — moving air

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