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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
468
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: pitcher · present · cap · racket · track · land · rush · file

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — a country
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rush — hurry
  22. file — a tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. file — a line of people

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