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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rest — a break
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rest — what's left
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bank — for money

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