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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — goods
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cap — a lid

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