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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — of ice
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — help
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. content — happy
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — in control
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — the amount
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — a lid
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. band — a ring
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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