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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. firm — a company
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. row — a line
  12. pop — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — soda
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — of ice

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