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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — completely
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — the most important part

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