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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: stem · bear · object · toast · fine · saw · pit · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — of ice
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. toast — bread
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — to come from
  22. object — a thing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pit — in a race

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