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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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. scale — for weighing
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — there
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — a group
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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