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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. toast — bread
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — of water
  16. bank — of a river
  17. track — a song
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. track — a path

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