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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ball — a great time
  16. band — a ring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. track — a song
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — the animal

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