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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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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: mine · cap · bear · object · fine · mug · clip · pit

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. clip — for paper
  7. object — an aim
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. pit — a hole

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