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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. track — to keep track
  9. key — the most important part
  10. land — ground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. suit — to fit
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — a country
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — to come down
  24. key — for a lock

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