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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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. rest — what's left
  4. pop — soda
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — tied together
  23. key — in music
  24. roll — a list

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