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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a song
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — the time now
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — a gift

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