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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rock — a stone
  23. degree — from a university
  24. trunk — 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