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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. roll — a cake
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. roll — a list
  6. bound — obliged
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bound — certain
  9. can — to be able to
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. season — in sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — of ice
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. club — a group
  22. bound — tied together
  23. snap — to click
  24. cap — a hat

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