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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. foot — a measure
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — music
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ground — a position
  17. track — a path
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to click
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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