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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. current — electric
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — a song
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — money
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — a grade
  21. capital — a city
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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