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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — a match
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — the cause
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — an aim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — wild animals

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