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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 · bay · fan · scale · mark · ground · cap · march

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — the month
  6. track — a song
  7. ground — the earth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. track — a path
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a trace

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