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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. band — a music group
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. net — after costs
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. snap — to click
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cap — a lid
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a ring
  24. bowl — a football final

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