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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. club — a group
  16. suit — to fit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a ring
  19. march — the month
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. march — the month

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