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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: cap · club · bay · pass · file · band · deal · hide

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — a hat
  10. club — a group
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for golf
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a lid

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