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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: cue · present · temple · pit · clip · can · spring · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — there
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spring — of water
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — for paper
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cue — for pool
  18. spring — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cue — a signal

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