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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — a trace
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a partner
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. row — to paddle
  23. race — humankind
  24. leaves — to go away

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