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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. last — final
  10. rock — a stone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. last — to go on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — to protest
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — a lid
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — a trainer

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