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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — there
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. field — farmland
  22. capital — money
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — a practice

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