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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. can — to be able to
  8. present — there
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. march — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — a safe
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — obliged

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