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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. track — a path
  4. band — a ring
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — a group
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kid — child
  15. face — to confront
  16. track — a song
  17. club — for golf
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — to point toward
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — to keep track

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