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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a hole
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. leaves — of a tree

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