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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — to visit

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