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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. land — to come down
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — the time now
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — a country
  19. present — there
  20. spring — a coil
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — ground
  24. present — a gift

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