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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. roll — a list
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a path
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — a cake
  15. capital — money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — a city
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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