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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — for a lock
  6. face — part of the head
  7. roll — a list
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — a song
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — a path
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. roll — a cake
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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