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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — in a race

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