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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. capital — money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — the time now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — there
  15. mark — a grade
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — a trace
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — a hat
  24. capital — a big letter

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