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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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