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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: staff · date · fine · bear · spell · hand · track · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — help
  4. track — a song
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — the fruit
  20. track — a path
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — the animal

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