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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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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: pit · cap · rest · bear · mark · staff · object · cold

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — an aim
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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