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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — to protest
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — a song
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a path
  24. object — a thing

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