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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — a lid
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a cake
  11. present — a gift
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — magic
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — the time now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. pop — to visit

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