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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — clothes
  3. track — to keep track
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. root — of a word
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a path
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — employees

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