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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ruler — for measuring

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