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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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