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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — a song
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bark — to shout
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — happy
  13. mate — to breed
  14. track — a path
  15. content — the amount
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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