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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cell — a phone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — in biology
  10. can — to be able to
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — of ice

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