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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — a song
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. firm — steady

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