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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — a song
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. present — a gift
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — the time now
  19. current — electric
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — for baseball
  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