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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — a hole
  11. field — a subject
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. field — farmland
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a hint

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