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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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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: cap · coach · hide · wound · pit · track · pop · net

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — in sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a hole

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