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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a friend

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