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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — a thing
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. track — a song
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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