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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chip — for betting
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a path

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