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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. craft — boats
  13. track — a path
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — rain
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a rubber band

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