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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spring — the season
  5. snap — to click
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. row — a quarrel

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