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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — for catching
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — shares
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — a lid

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