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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mug — to rob
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. game — a match
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — wild animals
  24. track — to keep track

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