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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — a lid
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — bread
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pit — a hole
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — to get on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — all right

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