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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a word
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — a line
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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