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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — to keep track

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