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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — to tire
  16. track — a path
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — wild animals

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