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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: straw · game · mark · dip · mug · hide · track · pop

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — music
  12. game — a match
  13. track — to keep track
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a song

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