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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lean — thin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — obliged
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — a grade
  8. squash — the sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — completely
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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