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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pop — soda
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a song
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. track — a path
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pop — to visit
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — a lid

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