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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — letters
  24. charge — a price

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