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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — the season

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