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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. can — to be able to

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