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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: can · mine · cap · firm · pop · band · pit · rest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — a company
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rest — a break
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — steady

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