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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · lie · cap · track · capital · mug · pound · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — a path
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mug — a face
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — a hat
  23. capital — money
  24. lie — an untruth

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