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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — wild animals
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — a division
  10. track — a path
  11. bass — low music
  12. rule — a law
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — government
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — soda

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