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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — for catching
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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