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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — in cards
  3. press — to push
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — not warm
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — a song
  12. object — a thing
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a path
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. club — a group

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