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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — a committee
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a face
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — to get on
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — a law

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