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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a great time
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a ring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a face
  21. band — a music group
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a cup

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