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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — a path
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — an aim
  10. swing — to play on
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — after costs
  14. track — to keep track
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — to recline

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