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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: cap · bowl · rest · tube · track · mug · mark · saw

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — a face
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a path
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rest — a break

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