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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · land · jam · toast · object · can · cell

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. land — to come down
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — of the year
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — a country
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — an aim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — in sport
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — ground

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