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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — a song
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. track — a path
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — to keep track
  24. net — for catching

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