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

Word bank: mark · mouse · foot · deal · cap · pitch · pop · kid

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. foot — a measure
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kid — child
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — to visit

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