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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — a group
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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