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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — in sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — in a race
  24. net — after costs

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