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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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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — a grade
  9. file — a tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. track — a song
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kid — child
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chip — for betting

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