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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — to drill
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — of law
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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