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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — certain
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a song
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. track — a path
  20. root — the cause
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — a tight spot

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