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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a song
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. land — to come down
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — tied together

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