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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — in music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cap — a hat
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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