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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 120 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: cap · mark · cabinet · kid · deal · stock · safe · track

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kid — child
  3. cap — a lid
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — to tease
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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