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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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