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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. last — finally
  6. rock — a stone
  7. last — final
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — to go on
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mug — a face
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — music
  24. mug — to rob

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