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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — music
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — to visit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a document
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. track — to keep track

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