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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — a path
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ground — a position
  14. shower — to wash
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. shower — rain
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. track — a song

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