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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a song
  3. squash — the sport
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — to keep track

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