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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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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: fan · pass · stick · present · jam · cold · game · cap

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — a match
  5. cap — a hat
  6. present — there
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cap — a lid
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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