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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — finally
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fine — high quality
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — completely
  16. last — to go on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — to be able to

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