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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — government
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — tied together

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