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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  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