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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. track — a path
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the sport
  17. key — in music
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. row — a quarrel

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