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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. firm — steady
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. firm — a company
  21. land — ground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — to cool the air

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