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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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Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cell — a phone
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. can — a tin

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