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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bass — the fish
  11. field — for sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — for digging
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cap — a hat
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — the instrument

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