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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: track · can · ground · cap · kid · rest · file · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a document
  3. track — a song
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — a position

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