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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. track — a path
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — a song
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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