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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. pop — soda
  3. ground — the earth
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ground — a position
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. swing — in golf
  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