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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kid — child
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. swing — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a song
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. swing — to play on

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