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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — for golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lean — thin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a line

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