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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — a list
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spring — a coil
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spring — the season
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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