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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a hole
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. root — the cause

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