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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. track — a song
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — to come down
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mark — a grade
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — to sink

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