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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. stock — goods
  7. cap — of ice
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a hat
  16. march — the month
  17. content — the amount
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. march — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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