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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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 — a path
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — thin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a line
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. game — a match
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lean — to rest against
  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