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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 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. file — a tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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