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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · pit · content · suit · mouse · file · saw · rash

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a document
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — a series

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