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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a hat
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — music
  15. race — humankind
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pop — to visit
  24. march — the month

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