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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. land — ground
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spell — a short time
  17. land — to come down
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — a country
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. key — in music

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