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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: ball · present · fork · mug · staff · pitcher · track · cap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — a song
  7. present — a gift
  8. mug — a face
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ball — a dance

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