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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pop — music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — an injury
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — a trace
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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