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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mark — a trace
  13. toast — bread
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a song
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rash — on the skin

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