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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 116 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: ruler · dip · cap · mark · hide · bass · pop · stick

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pop — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — of ice
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — low music
  24. dip — a sauce

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