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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a path
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — the month
  8. net — for catching
  9. press — to push
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — after costs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. sharp — exactly

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