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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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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: sharp · dip · pitcher · saw · cap · firm · prune · can

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — decided

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