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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 120 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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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: kid · hide · pop · cap · deal · wake · pit · track

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kid — child
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — a path
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — in a race

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