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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — the season
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — of water
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. key — the most important part
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. file — a line of people
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spring — a coil
  15. court — of a king
  16. charge — in control
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — a price
  19. key — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — electricity
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. can — to be able to

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