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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a song
  7. court — of a king
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — a grade
  12. firm — steady
  13. court — for sport
  14. present — there
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of law
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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