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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — all right
  6. cap — a hat
  7. board — to get on
  8. kid — child
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — size or range
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cap — of ice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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