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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. track — to keep track

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