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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: fine · cap · bay · hand · kick · mug · date · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — in football
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hand — help
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — of ice

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