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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. march — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. toast — the most admired

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