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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — a gift
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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