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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — a coil
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — of water
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. row — a line
  23. track — a song
  24. row — to paddle

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