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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — a position
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. current — of water
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. current — happening now
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — for pool

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