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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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