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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. degree — from a university
  7. season — of the year
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. track — a song
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. degree — an amount
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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