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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. tube — the underground
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — a group
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — for golf
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — a tool

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