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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. last — finally
  4. present — a gift
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — there
  24. row — to paddle

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