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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: hand · cap · rush · fine · deal · pit · track · mug

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a song
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fine — all right
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — in cards
  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