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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stem — to come from
  3. board — a committee
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — a weight
  10. board — to get on
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. track — a song
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — to keep track

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