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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — a hole
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — a hat

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