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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a hat
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. net — after costs
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — a box
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

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