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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — a break
  5. track — a song
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — to keep track
  13. club — for golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — a group
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for dancing
  18. track — a path

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