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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mate — a partner
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — a stick
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a great time
  18. last — to go on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — a hole

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