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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — to breed

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