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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: cap · bowl · track · drill · dip · straw · mark · chair

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cap — a hat
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a trace
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — a leader
  12. track — a path
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. dip — to sink
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mark — to pay attention

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