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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — a measure
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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