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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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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. firm — decided
  15. chip — for betting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — to handle

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