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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a hole
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. season — of the year
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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