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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a path
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a song
  11. march — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — the sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — the tool

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