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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — a path
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a song
  7. current — electric
  8. net — in sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — of water
  17. race — humankind
  18. net — for catching
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — the arms race
  22. current — happening now
  23. race — a contest
  24. pass — to spend time

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