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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — in music
  19. pop — music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — to sink
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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