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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 116 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: bowl · sharp · deal · cell · track · cap · rash · perch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. perch — the fish
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cell — in biology
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — a hat
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — a song
  23. rash — a series
  24. perch — for a bird

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