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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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Word bank
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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: roll · dip · cap · bat · pop · pit · bay · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. cap — a lid
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cap — of ice
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a hole
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. roll — a list
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — soda
  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