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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
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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: bat · drill · track · chip · mouse · date · cue · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — a path
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cap — a hat

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