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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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