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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kid — child
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. track — a path
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kid — to tease

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