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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — to come down
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — a path
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — a country
  15. season — in sport
  16. key — in music
  17. track — a song
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — ground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — steady
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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