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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — magic
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a song
  21. board — a committee
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ground — a position

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