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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — soda
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a song
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — a committee
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — to trim
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bank — of a river

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