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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. plane — in geometry
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — a stone
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mark — a trace
  14. present — there
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rock — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. plane — a tool
  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