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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — of ice
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — a song
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. net — after costs
  12. scale — in music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — a list
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — in sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a path
  20. net — for catching
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — size or range
  24. roll — a cake

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