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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — of the year
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — happy
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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