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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — to go on
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a lid

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