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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: track · object · lie · cabinet · capital · date · ground · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — to recline
  12. capital — money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. object — a thing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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