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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. clip — to cut
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. court — of a king
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. clip — for paper
  14. court — of law
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. clip — a video
  19. toast — bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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