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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — employees
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pit — in a race
  24. season — in sport

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