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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pop — soda
  6. file — a document
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a line of people
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a tool
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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