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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — the amount
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — in a tire

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