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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — a hat
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. firm — steady
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. roll — a cake
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. ground — a position
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. roll — a list
  22. firm — a company
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — decided

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