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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pound — a weight
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — a path
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — in music
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. scale — for weighing

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