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

Word bank: land · cap · pit · bulb · plane · can · kid · cell

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — ground
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — in a race
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kid — child
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. cell — in a prison

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