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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — a path
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — low music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a song
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — clever

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