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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a great time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pass — a permit
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — for catching
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — to push
  19. bark — to shout
  20. track — a song
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. file — a tool

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