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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — bread
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. track — a song
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — lets stay

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