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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — of water
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — a position
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rash — a series
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — after costs
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — the season
  23. track — a path
  24. spring — a coil

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