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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.

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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: club · cap · craft · mark · mug · cabinet · pop · deal

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — a lid
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — soda
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — a group
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mug — a cup
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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