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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — the month
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — for golf
  12. track — a song
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — a group
  20. court — of a king
  21. date — the fruit
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — music
  24. snap — to click

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