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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. last — to go on
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. row — a line
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. row — to paddle
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — finally
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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