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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · bear · staff · net · rash · jam · cap · wound

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. staff — a stick
  4. net — in sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — of ice
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — an injury

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