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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. track — a song
  12. current — electric
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. march — music

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