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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — in sport
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bowl — a dish

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