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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — from a university
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — of ice
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spring — a coil

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