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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: shower · cap · pit · bore · ground · track · deal · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. shower — rain
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a path

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