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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cap — a hat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cap — a lid
  17. toast — bread
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. roll — a list
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — to move gently

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