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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — magic
  16. cue — a signal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cue — a hint
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — boats
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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