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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. track — a song
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — obliged
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — tied together

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