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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. staff — employees
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a song
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — to handle
  23. row — a line
  24. ruler — for measuring

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