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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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 — to keep track
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — child
  8. track — a song
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — government
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rule — to rule out
  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