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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — government
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a trace
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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