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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bass — low music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — a song
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — a hat
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cold — not warm

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