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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — letters
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a path
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now

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