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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: saw · nail · ball · track · pop · date · mark · cap

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — the fruit
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — the tool

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