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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a path
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — a song

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