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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · bore · file · cap · mouse · mate · fan · pit

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — in a race
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — a song

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