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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — a gift
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ball — a great time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a song
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — a match
  24. present — there

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