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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — soda
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — shares
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — after costs
  16. bat — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cap — a lid
  23. can — to be able to
  24. safe — out of danger

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