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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bowl — a football final

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