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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — a short time
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cold — not warm
  10. land — ground
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — all right
  13. land — a country
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fine — high quality

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