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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — a path
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — low music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wake — before a funeral

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