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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — a weight
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — the animal

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