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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: rock · cap · pound · hand · march · bay · mark · pit

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — a hat
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. hand — help
  18. march — the month
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. march — music

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