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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — child
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cap — a lid
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kid — to tease
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — to bear

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