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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — a group
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — a break
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a song

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