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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — a group
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. board — to get on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — humankind
  20. prune — to trim
  21. race — the arms race
  22. track — a path
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for dancing

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