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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — a series
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — a stick

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