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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — a hint
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a hole
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — in a race
  20. field — a subject
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — to put up with

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