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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a song
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rule — a law
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — an injury
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — bread
  24. rule — government

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