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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: fine · club · hand · track · cap · staff · bay · tear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. track — a path
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — in cards
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fine — high quality
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hand — help
  14. tear — to rip
  15. club — for golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a song

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