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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rest · pit · bank · cue · kick · object · field

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — farmland
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — in football
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

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