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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mate — a partner
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. track — a song
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — obliged
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bore — gave birth

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