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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. content — happy
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — boats
  10. staff — employees
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — in football

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