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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: net · cap · leaves · track · row · rock · fan · clip

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a path
  7. rock — a stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — for catching
  12. cap — of ice
  13. clip — a video
  14. track — a song
  15. rock — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a line
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — to keep track

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