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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mug — a face
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — an explosive

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