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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spell — letters
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fine — all right
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — a path

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