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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — in a race
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cap — a lid
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a hole

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