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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — help
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — a measure
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — a lid

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