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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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