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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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Word bank
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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. charge — electricity
  13. track — a song
  14. charge — a price
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. charge — in control
  24. saw — the tool

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